The Osceola times., 1887-07-09
FEARFUL EXPLOSION.
The Danger Of Intrusting the Care OF an
Engine to Incompetent Hands 1err'oly
FxempIiHed-A sad List OF Casuait'es a""
Heavy Los. of valuable Property.

-. p.nn.r .f Intrusting the Care OF an
Engine TO Incompetent Hands 1err'oly
FxempI,fed-A sad List Of Casualties an"
Heavy Loss Of Valuable Property
BEILEyuLE. Ill, Ju'y "A terrible ao-
cident occurf cd Yesterday morning on the
farm of John Barth, about three hl'es
southeast o; Mascoutah, H. An engine
of a threshinp machine exploded whi.e a
number of men were around IT, VIVA
awful effect. The following is n list oil
the yictims:
John Plab, killed.
VIII Plab, both legs broken.
Herman Lenkemeyer, arm blown on
Peter Dumond, slightly injured.
Edward Schutler, leg broken.
The water was allowed to get too low
In the boiler and more was let IN while
the boiler was hot. The explosion fol
lowed. II was shortly after six o'c'ocd
when Peter Dumond and John Plab ar
rived at the Barth farm with the thresh'
ing-machine. Dumond owned the ma
chine and has been doing nearly all tho
threshing for farmers in the vicinity OF
Mascou.ah.
Yesterday was the time set for his visit
to the Barth farm, and when he arrived
were at the gate TO meet him. Dumond
had engaged John Plab, young mar
twenty years Of age, as engineer, and the
latter raised steam. When the marhinC
had been placed in position on the farm
Dumond climbed up on the machine, and
remarked TO Plab:
'Johnnie, you have got more steam or
than you ought to have"
"All right" said Plab II will remedy
that"
Plab attempted to put in some more
water. The terrible explosion followed
The machine was blown up in the all
and lodged on the thresher about ter
feet distant Plab was carried seventy
hve feet in the air and instantly killed
Both his legs were blown off, and one oi
them was found nearly a block from the
sce-e Of the Gccident
A younger brother, who was. standinl
near the machine, had both his leg
broken. Peter Dumond, Herm IN Lenke
meyer ami Edward Schutler were arrang
ing the thresher at the instant Of the ex
plosion, and when the engine struck the
thresher Dumond and Schuetler were
knocked 10 the ground and Lenkem9ye
was knocked down and imprisoned be-
tween the engine and the separator One OF
Schuetler's legs was broken, but DumonC
was only slightly injured. Lenksmeyer''
position was perilous and he would
bly, have been burned to death hat
not other farm hands, who were in a safe
position when the explosion occurred
came quickly to his rescue. When taker
out Of the burning thresher one of hi'
a w N hn haan n
was afterward amputated.
Two fine horses which had been Aef
standing near the engine were instantly
killed. When the engine lodged on the
thresher the latter Immediately took fire
and in about ten minutes after the explo
sion was reduced to ashes, together will
two farm wagons which were in clos'
proximity.
The no Use of the explosion was heard
mile or more distant, and in less thar
fifteen minutes after it had occurred
there were hundreds Of peop'e at tn,
scene. Physicians were brought from
Mascoutah and every thing possible wa
done to alleviate the sufferings of the in
jured. The condition of the youngest
Plab is verv serious and he may die
John Plab, the young man killed, wa,
twenty years Of age, and was an intelli
gent young farmer, but had very little ex
perience with machinery. He probably
had no idea how low the water in tn,
boiler of the engine was or he would no
have attempted TO put more in while th'
boiler was so hot. When p cked up his
body was unrecognizib,e. Both legs hat
been blown Oft close to the body and his
face was awfully blackened aud Scared
Dumond, the owner of the machine, who
escaped without any serious injury, is
wel-known all over the country, he hav
ing for years done all the threshing fol
farmers around Mascoutah. He was
fairly well-to-do.
A sad feature in connection with tn.
accident was that the father OF the Plab
boy, who is confned in the county jail OF
peace warrant had the news broken &c
him in his cell. He was nearly heart
broken with grief and the fJct that he
could not go to them made his anguish al
the more keen.